Army Sgt. 1st Class William R. Brown

Remember Our Heroes

Army Sgt. 1st Class William R. Brown, 30, of Fort Worth, Texas

SFC Brown was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group, Fort Bragg, N.C.; died Nov. 6, 2006 of injuries sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his convoy vehicle in Sperwan-Gar, Afghanistan.

Sgt. 1st Class William Brown, 30, was killed in action Nov. 6, when an Improvised Explosive Device detonated near his Humvee in the Panjwayi district of Kandahar while deployed in support of combat operations. He was a senior Special Forces weapons sergeant, assigned to 1st Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group here.

He deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in August 2006, he had already served one tour of duty in Iraq and was on his second tour in Afghanistan..

On June 2nd, two weeks after graduating from Brewer High School in White Settlement, Texas in 1994. Brown enlisted in the US Army as an Infantryman.

After completing Basic, Advanced Individual Training and Airborne School at Fort Benning, Ga., he was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment.

In 2002, Brown was selected for duty as a U.S. Army Recruiter and served in Dallas, Texas.

In 2004, Brown volunteered for Special Forces Training and upon completion of the Special Forces Qualification Course he was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne) Fort Bragg, N.C. as a Senior A Detachment Weapons Sergeant, He was with the 3rd 3rd Special Forces Group until his death.

Brown's mother, Anita Walton of Boyd said her son was "perfect." "He's one I never got a call on," said the mother of five. "I've been up to the school many times, but with him, I never got a call one time."

Sgt. Brown was born at John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth, He grew up in White Settlement, where he played football from youth leagues through high school, his mother said.

Sgt. Brown served six months in Iraq about a year after the invasion. He was in Afghanistan late last year and returned there early this summer, his mother said.

"He loved it, being out in the field doing what they trained him to do," Ms. Walton said.

"One time I said, 'What do you do?' and he said, 'Mom, do you really want to know?' "

"He died for our country," his mother said. "He was patriotic to the end. He was doing what he loved to do."

He will be buried in Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery. "He would like that," his mother said.

Awards and Decorations

The Bronze Star Medal for Valor, Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon, NATO Medal, Combat Infantryman Badge, Expert Infantryman Badge, Senior Parachutist Badge, U.S. Army Recruiter Badge (silver), Ranger Tab and the Special Forces Tab.

Army Sgt. 1st Class William R. Brow was killed in action on 11/6/06.